Phu Quoc, September 2017

So I had an early start today, I had a flight to Phu Quoc, (the largest island in Vietnam) at 6:40am.

I left my hostel at 5am and headed to Hanoi airport. I checked in and boarded my flight which was 1.5 hours. After we landed it started to shower then when I got in my airport shuttle the heavens opened. It was about at 20 minute journey from the airport to The Shells Resort & Spa.


I checked in and was driven in a golf buggy to my room. When we got to my room the bell boy asked me for the room key which I didn't have to which he seemed shocked. After him talking to reception on the walkie talkie and after 5 minutes he came to the conclusion that the room was actually unlocked so we walked in. Apparently there was an issue with my lock that needed to be fixed and apparently they didn't think it a good idea to fix this before taking me to my room. A few minutes later the locksmith came and about 10 minutes after that I was given my new key. The hotel room is quite spacious and the view is pretty sweet. 


I was pretty hungry as hadn't had breakfast yet so ordered room service which was pretty tricky and it seems the staff's English was a 2/10. So a lot of repeating myself was involved. Unfortunately the level of English wasn't just bad at the restaurant it was poor with every member of staff I came across. Not what I would expect in a hotel of this size in a major tourist destination. Apparently being fluent in English wasn't a prerequisite for working at the Shells Resort & Spa Hotel. 

After I devoured my room service it was still chucking it down so I had a nap hoping the weather would have picked up by the time I woke up. After a 4 hour cat nap I opened my curtains to beaming sunshine and hot footed myself to the pool.
The hotel is also situated on a beach, it's not the nicest beach I've seen and no one was on it but I've been told there are better beaches on the other side of the island. 


After a few hours I went back to my room. Ordering room service was a quite a feat, so much so the waiter had to come to my room so I could show him what I wanted from the menu as his English was so bad he couldn't understand me on the phone. After dinner I fell asleep watching Crazy, Stupid, Love. 

The next day I had a buffet breakfast which was included in my room. It was average, there was a lot of choice from coffee, tea, juices, bacon, rice, vegetables, fried eggs, cold meats, bread, cheeses and salad. 

I then packed up my things, checked out and got ready for my next destination. It was chucking it down on my way to the airport, I'm not sure if this is the rainy season for Phu Quoc or if I just got unlucky but it seems September isn't the best month to visit. 


I'd rate the Shells Resort and Spa 7/10 for being aesthetically pleasing, as the rooms were nice and you had a great view of the pool and beach. You also get a free hotel shuttle to and from the airport. However customer service wise I'd have to give it a -1/10 as the staff don't speak English which is ridiculous for a hotel of it's size in its current location. 

I'd definitely visit Phu Quoc again but I won't be staying at the Shells Resort and Spa. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Praha 14th April 2011

Image
Trdelnik We woke up at 8:45 to the sound of drilling as there were some roadworks going on outside our windows :(  Everyone got showered and dressed and we left at 10am to go to the Old Market Square, we saw the Astronomical Clock, walked around the market and had these sugary sweets called trdelnik. There were several stalls selling them. They are the most devine dessert I've ever had and the thing I miss the most about Prague. It is made out of dough and like a pretzel but with a more crispy consistency. It is made by wrapping the dough around a roll pin type device which is then rolled above hot coals to cook the dough. After it's golden brown it is then rolled in a sugar and cinnamon mix. Then you get to wat it! This has to be tried and searched for when you go to Prague as it's delicious! Trdelnik Outside the town hall there are several tour guides waiting to with umbrellas which is a sign that they are tour guides. Some are free and others you need to
Read more

Buenos Aires April 2013

Image
Today I attended my first Spanish class. I was supposed to have group classes but there is nobody else at my beginner level so I am having 1:1 classes at the moment. I currently have 2 hours of lessons per day and if I change to a group classes I will have four hours a day. It was a bit weird at the beginning, kind of like my first day of school. I was introduced to my professor Bruno and was given a textbook and a tour of the school which took no time at all. There are a few computers, wifi throughout and several leaflets with information about Buenos Aires and things to do. The first class was good and I was given homework for the next day so it really felt like I was 14 again. I continued classes for the rest of the week in addition to my own form of studying from reading Spanish books, magazines, watching telenovelas and talking to as many Argentines as possible. One night this week me and Corrie had heard of the round the world party at a bar in Soho. Basically you are given
Read more

Amsterdam 10th December 2010

Image
We woke up at about 8am so that we could leave at 9am to see the house of Anne Frank. We got dressed and went downstairs for our free breakfast which consisted of juice, toast or cereal. We used our map and walked to the Anne Frank House which was on Prinsengract which was about a 20-25 minute walk from our hostel, I would recommend walking as much as you can in Amsterdam as most things are nearby plus you get to see more when you walk. The Anne Frank House costs €9 or €4.50 if you are between 10-17 years, those under 10 only have to pay €0.50. You can buy tickets online and print them or buy them on the day. I would recommend purchasing your tickets in advance if you are visiting Amsterdam in the tourist season and if you are going in the afternoon or if there is a group of you. We went early in the day so there wasn't much of a queue so we didn't buy our tickets online. The House's opening times vary depending on the time of year.  Signpost The House was very in
Read more